9:14 “So all the trees said to the thornbush, ‘You come and be our king!’ 1 9:15 The thornbush said to the trees, ‘If you really want to choose 2 me as your king, then come along, find safety under my branches! 3 Otherwise 4 may fire blaze from the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!’
9:16 “Now, if you have shown loyalty and integrity when you made Abimelech king, if you have done right to Jerub-Baal and his family, 5 if you have properly repaid him 6 – 9:17 my father fought for you; he risked his life 7 and delivered you from Midian’s power. 8 9:18 But you have attacked 9 my father’s family 10 today. You murdered his seventy legitimate 11 sons on one stone and made Abimelech, the son of his female slave, king over the leaders of Shechem, just because he is your close relative. 12 9:19 So if you have shown loyalty and integrity to Jerub-Baal and his family 13 today, then may Abimelech bring you happiness and may you bring him happiness! 14 9:20 But if not, may fire blaze from Abimelech and consume the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo! May fire also blaze from the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo and consume Abimelech!”
1 tn Or “and rule over us!”
2 tn Heb “are about to anoint [with oil].”
3 tn Heb “in my shade.”
4 tn Heb “If not.”
5 tn Heb “house.”
6 tn Heb “if according to the deeds of his hands you have done to him.”
7 tc Heb “threw his life out in front,” that is, “exposed himself to danger.” The MT form מִנֶּגֶד (minneged, “from before”) should probably be read as מִנֶּגְדּוֹ (minnegdo, “from before him”); haplography of vav has likely occurred here in the MT.
8 tn Heb “hand.”
9 tn Heb “have risen up against.”
10 tn Heb “house.”
11 tn The word “legitimate” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification.
12 tn Heb “your brother.”
13 tn Heb “house.”
14 tn Heb “then rejoice in Abimelech, and may he also rejoice in you.”